Blockchain platform Polygon Labs has announced the launch of Polygon zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM) Mainnet Beta. It is a full-featured, open-source zkEVM that includes a working prover.
zkEVMs, which are zero-knowledge(ZK) rollups—a layer-2 scalability solution that enables blockchains to complete transactions faster while keeping gas fees minimal-designed for compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine is a solution that can achieve scalability, security that is inherited directly from Ethereum itself, and a seamless experience for developers building on Ethereum.
“Today’s launch is an incredible milestone and the beginning of a new chapter for blockchain technology, fulfilling Ethereum’s original promise of becoming a true “world computer” and creating a fairer, more egalitarian internet for all,” said Mihailo Bjelic, Co-Founder of Polygon.
The prevailing opinion among industry experts was that it would take several years to bring a zkEVM to fruition, but Polygon zkEVM has done it, much sooner than anyone ever thought possible, he added.
More than 50 web3 protocols and web2 enterprises are joining the Polygon zkEVM Mainnet Beta including dApps such as Lens and Aavegotchi, DeFi projects 0vix and Quickswap, as well as Etherscan, Phantom, Midnight Society, Luganodes, Celer, Gameswift and Yeeha Games.
Since the public testnet launched in October, Polygon zkEVM has been the source code available. Polygon Labs has now announced that all aspects of Polygon zkEVM are now open-source under an AGPL v3 license. Open-source licenses allow developers to share their code and encourage collaboration and innovation within the developer community.
Polygon zkEVM is “EVM-equivalent.” This means that Polygon zkEVM is compatible with the EVM (the software that executes and computes the state of the Ethereum network) at the bytecode level. Developers can use some of the same tooling and infrastructure that they use on Ethereum, without compromise, out of the box. It’s powered by ZK proofs, so users can move assets between Polygon zkEVM and Ethereum, without the withdrawal delays that exist on Optimistic Rollups.
Published on March 27, 2023
